Sharing desktops with TeamViewer

A while back I enthused about the desktop sharing software Crossloop because of it’s ease of use and great customer service. Recently however, I tried a decent alternative – TeamViewer – and it certainly gives Crossloop a run for its money.

Like Crossloop, TeamViewer allows you to access another person’s desktop and manage their files. This is great if you’re trying to provide troubleshooting assistance to someone who’s not on the same network or even in the same country as you. Unlike Crossloop, TeamViewer is split into two modes – Remote Desktop Mode and Presentation Mode.

In the first one, you are able to access and manage the files on the remote PC. It also allows you to send and receive files which is really useful if you need to send drivers to someone in order to solve an issue. Presentation Mode is purely just for presentations, which is useful if you’re working on a group Powerpoint project.

What both programs have in common is that they are free and very simple to use. TeamViewer assigns both the client and host username and password and, if they match, you are connected instantly. It can even circumvent Firewalls because if TeamViewer detects one at the host’s end, it runs the connection through it’s own servers.